Previously in Part One: We talked about upcoming newspaper comic strip collections and books about comics. Check it out.

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS

Creeping Death From Neptune: Horror and Science Fiction Comics

Creeping Death From Neptune: Horror and Science Fiction Comics (Fantagraphics): A generous collection of Basil Wolverton’s iconic hero Spacehawk, plus some of his humorous classics, including “Brain Bats of Venus”, “Escape to Death”, and “Robot Woman”. Plus, reproductions of Wolverton’s ledgers and diaries, shedding new light on his working methods. Classic material with an equally classy presentation. 288-page color hardcover.

Creepy Presents Steve Ditko

Creepy Presents Steve Ditko (Dark Horse): Collects 16 stories drawn by Ditko (15 of them written by Archie Goodwin!), all from his post-Marvel period, and originally published in either Creepy or Eerie. No sorcerers or spider-peoples, but plenty of goons, heroes, wizards, and otherworldly locales in this great collection from the pages of Warren magazines. Introduction by Mark Evanier. 128-page B&W hardcover. Available in August.

Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Volume 3: The last in the series of Adams’ classic Batman stories, many written by Denny O’Neil and Bob Haney.Also includes covers, Batman stories for Peter Pan records, advertising, and custom comics work. 280 pages.

Black Orchid

Black Orchid: New printing. The amazing three-part miniseries by Neil Gaiman and and Dave McKean is once again available. 176 pages. Mature Readers.

Camelot 3000

Camelot 3000: The classic Arthurian saga (with twists) by Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland. Huge in the 80s, and still great today! With lots of supplementary extras. 320 pages.

Essential Captain America Volume 7 (Marvel): Collecting Captain America #231-257 — most notable for including the complete Roger Stern/John Byrne run on the title (featuring the classic “Cap for President” story, as well as a great origin re-cap). Other creators include Roger McKenzie, Steven Grant, Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, Carmine Infantino, and many others. Features guest appearances by Daredevil, The Punisher, Union Jack, Nick Fury, the Hulk, and the Avengers, who take on baddies like Dragon Man, Batroc, Machinesmith, Mr. Hyde, and Baron Blood. 528-page B&W softcover.

Feldstein: The Mad Life and Fantastic Art of Al Feldstein

Feldstein: The Mad Life and Fantastic Art of Al Feldstein (IDW): Both a full biography and a coffee-table art book, Feldstein: The Mad Life and Fantastic Art of Al Feldstein collects an entire career’s (as as artist, writer, and editor) worth of amazing stories and art into one book. With a focus on his classic EC Comics work, including every cover (many published alongside the original art), several complete EC stories, plus nearly every splash page and house ad Feldstein produced for EC. Additionally, there’s a complete overview of his 30 years as editor of MAD, as well as his more recent career as a “fine” artist, with both award-winning Western canvases and reproductions of his classic comic book covers. Written by Grant Geissman. I’ve been waiting almost a lifetime to read this book! 320-page oversize (9” x 12”) color hardcover. (And, yes, I inadvertently left this off my Books About Comics list from last week. Sorry, Al!)

Hulk: From the Marvel UK Vaults

Hulk: From the Marvel UK Vaults (Marvel): An oddball collection of little-seen Hulk stories originally produced only for Marvel UK, beginning in 1979, mostly for their weekly Hulk Comic. Notable for featuring the early work of future Brit superstar talent including Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon, John Bolton, Paul Neary, David Lloyd, Brian Bolland (cover), Steve Moore, Steve Parkhouse, and more! Many of these stories were inspired by the popular Hulk TV show, which was also shown in the UK. Featuring material from comics you’ve never heard of! — including Smash! #38, material from Marvel Storybook Annual 1968, material from Hulk Comic #1-6, #9-20, and #26-28, Incredible Hulk Annual: Authorized Edition 1980, Hulk Annual 1981-1985, and The Super Heroes Annual. 296-page softcover. We’re not sure if the material is in color or B&W, but it might be a smattering of both. Besides, the Hulk will always be green in your brain!

Impossible Tales The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 4

Impossible Tales: The Steve Ditko Archives Volume 4 (Fantagraphics): The latest in the ongoing Steve Ditko Archives series features over 200 pages of seldom-seen Ditko work from five years before his classic Marvel superhero work, from the pages of Charlton Comics classic mystery and science fiction titles, including This Magazine Is Haunted and Tales of the Mysterious Traveler. Many Ditko fans and scholars believe that this is some of his very best work, and now it is being meticulously restored and finally presented properly in these Fantagraphics collections. (Charlton was notorious for poorly printed comic books.) Edited by Blake Bell. 256-page color hardcover. Available in October.

Jack Cole’s Deadly Horror

Jack Cole’s Deadly Horror (IDW): Part of Yoe Books! Chilling Archives of Horror series of books, this collects some terrifying comics by Jack Cole, dreamed up in those rare minutes when Cole wasn’t producing classic Plastic Man stories. These horrific tales are all from the 1950s, and all have great titles like “Orgy of Death”, Hangman’s Horror”, “The Corpse That Wouldn’t Die”, and “A Pact With the Devil”! Also includes rare art and historical background material. 148-page color hardcover. Pretty scary, ‘eh, kids?

Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Volume 7 (Marvel): Collecting Daredevil #64-74 and Iron Man #35-36, most of which is by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan. DD takes on Stunt-Master, Brother Brimstone, and Stilt-Man; teams up with Black Panther; and crosses over with Iron Man (and Nick Fury) to battle Spymaster and the Zodiac. Cover by Marie Severin. 264-page color hardcover. Available in September.

Michael Wm. Kaluta: The Big Book

Michael Wm. Kaluta: The Big Book (IDW): A massive portfolio-in-print of amazing Kaluta artwork, from his origins as a fanzine artist in the 1960s to today. Including special looks at his work on The Shadow in the 1970s as well as his work as part of the legendary art collective known as The Studio. Many of the pieces in this beautiful oversized volume are scanned directly from the original artwork, for the best possible reproduction. Beautifully amazing stuff! 304-page oversize (9” x 12”) color hardcover.

Roy Thomas Presents Planet Comics Volume 1: Collects issues #1-4 from 1940 of the classic SF series featuring work by Carmine Infantino and Dick Briefer. Resolicitation. Previous orders have been canceled. NOTE: Deluxe versions and TPB versions of previous PS Artbook collections are also available on the web site.

Iron Man by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen Omnibus (Marvel): A massive collection, including Iron Man (1998) #1-25, Iron Man Annual 1999, Iron Man: The Iron Age #1-2, plus over a half-dozen related crossover issues. Busiek and Chen’s run on the book is one of the absolute best ever, and besides pushing the character further into a hi-tech future, they also take care of a number of long-standing continuity issues. (Remember “Teen Tony” and Madame Masque?) Plus, there’s plenty of revitalization of classic villains like the Mandarin, Firebrand, Whiplash, the Controller, Count Neferia, Ultimo, and everybody’s favorites — M.O.D.O.K and Fin Fang Foom! With War Machine awesomeness! Creative appearances from George Pérez, John Romita Jr., Andy Kubert, Patrick Zircher, Mark Waid, Chris Claremont, Roger Stern, and many others! And if that’s not enough, there are guest-stars/crossovers with Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers! A 1,024-page color hardcover Omnibus with a cover by Chen. This is literarily heavy metal! Available in September.

Mark Schultz’s Xenozoic Tales Artist Edition (IDW): A must-have book for lovers of amazing artwork and dinosaurs! Xenozoic Tales is set in a post-apocalypic future, where dinosaurs (extremely well-drawn dinosaurs!) once again rule the earth. When this series was first published, all anyone was talking about was the fantastic work by artist Mark Schultz, invoking the work of past masters like Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta, Roy Krenkel, and Wally Wood. Now you can buy the last six issues (so far!) in the original 14” x 20” size — and see for yourself! It’s super-scanned from the original artwork, allowing you to see blue pencil sketching, edits, corrections and other artist and editor mark-ups. Other Artist Editions have sold-out quickly. Don’t miss out! 144-page oversize B&W w/color hardcover, printed on heavy paper to simulate art board.

Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

Sandman Omnibus Volume 1 (DC Comics/Vertigo): The first of two massive volumes collecting the complete original Sandman saga by Neil Gaiman and artists including (in this volume) Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Kelley Jones, Shawn McManus, and lots of single issues by Charles Vess, Coleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, Matt Wagner, and others. All covers are by Dave McKean. Includes the collections Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll’s House, Dream Country, Seasons of Mist, and A Game of You. One of the most acclaimed comics in history is now in a book so large it will put you to sleep (possibly forever) if it falls on your head. 1,040-page oversize color hardcover. Mature Readers.

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KC CARLSON SEZ: 2014 Calendars are already being solicited this month, and 2013 is barely 1/4 over. Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’… into the future. (Stupid Kang.)

WESTFIELD COMICS is not responsible for the stupid things that KC says. Especially that thing that really irritated you.